"The governor could appoint another emergency manager" next year, Earley said in a news conference Thursday, Aug. 21. "The decision depends on whether or not that capacity (to govern) can be demonstrated."

Earley's remarks come less than 24 hours after representatives of the state Department of Treasury met privately -- in individual sessions -- with members of the council and Mayor Dayne Walling.

Treasury officials detailed work that still is expected to be completed by the time they have targeted for Earley to issue his final order as emergency manager on April 8, 18 months after he was appointed to the job by Gov. Rick Snyder.

Earley said it is too soon to speculate whether he might be a part of a Transition Advisory Board if Snyder decides to establish one in Flint, the next step toward handing city government back over to elected officials.

The state's emergency manager law says the governor may appoint a TAB before removing a local government from receivership, making it responsible for monitoring the affairs of the local government -- particularly finances -- until the receivership is terminated.

Earley said there has been progress turning around Flint's finances since he was named emergency manager in September 2013, naming the work of the Blue Ribbon Committee on Governance as an example.

"(But) there are significant challenges that still must be (overcome)," said Earley, who said his goal is to put the city in position to eventually function without state oversight.

"It's my goal to turn this thing around (and) fix the city," he said.

Walling appeared at a news conference with Earley Thursday and said he supports the establishment of a TAB when Earley leaves his position in April.

"(There is) nothing wrong with having oversight if you're doing the right thing," Walling said.

"The news (of a Transition Advisory Board) wasn't well received by me," Neeley said. "We're not transferring out of an emergency manager, we're transferring into a deeper level of receivership.

"There's no real end in sight," Neeley said.

Flint has experienced deep financial problems for more than a decade, leading to the appointment of a series of emergency managers and state oversight under the terms of two different state laws -- Public Act 4 and Public Act 436.

Earley is the third emergency manager appointed by a governor to manage Flint's finances since 2003 and he has criticized the council here, saying just this month that members have shown themselves to be "egregious, unfair and obnoxious."

Earley told council President Scott Kincaid in an August letter that Flint desperately needs sound elected leadership to achieve long-term financial and organizational solvency.

"So far, that has been achieved only through multiple state interventions," he said.